Tinos in Greece

Tinos lies in the northern Cyclades, between Andros and Mykonos.
The island has about 8,600 inhabitants spread in about fifty villages.
The surface area is 197 km2, and Tinos is the fourth largest island in
the Cyclades, after Naxos, Andros
and Paros. The two main villages are Tinos
town, or Chora (4,760 inhabitants) and Panormos
(340 inhabitants). The three nearest neighbouring islands are Andros,
Mykonos and Syros.
The highest mountain is Tsiknias, measuring 724 meters above sea
level and is located on the eastern side of the island.

Tinos is an exceptional island in many ways. Among other things,
here is a live attraction that is changing every day. I think of Panagia
Evangelistra, the church whose holy icon is said to heal sick
people. Not only sick people is healed, some miracles is also said to
be caused by the icon. Many people crawls all the way to the icon, all
the way from the port. You can only imagine what a great pains it is.
I think that I can say that I have never witnessed anything like this
spectacle that each day takes place in and around this church. Then I
have travelled a lot in India, and there it really happens strange things.
But Tinos has not only remarkable attractions to offer. It is a colourful
island where the Greek everyday life comes first, and tourism in second
place. The island is visited mostly by Greeks who come to visit the church.
As a result Tinos is almost completely untouched by foreign tourism and
is therefore one of few Greek islands that still feels genuine. Welcome
to Greece!

Are you looking for the genuine Greece, then you do not need to search
anymore. Tinos is also a lush and green island with an amazingly inviting
landscape. Many say that Naxos is the greenest island in the Cyclades,
but I venture to say that Tinos is in the same class. What most distinguishes
Tinos from other Greek islands are the picturesque villages. I've been
to 65 Greek islands, nowhere else have I seen so many lovely villages,
like on Tinos. Certainly there are islands with nice villages, Chora
on Amorgos and Chora on Ios are
two of many examples, but there is no other island with so many lovely
villages like Tinos. It is said to be around 50 villages on Tinos, and
with a few exceptions, they are very, very wonderful. Not only that, many
villages are completely pedestrianized. The beautiful scenery, the
picturesque villages and the characteristic dovecotes
makes Tinos one of the most exciting islands in the Cyclades. It is a
paradise for those who want to experience the genuine Greece. If you like
beaches, you will of course find it too, like the beaches of Kolymbithra
that you see at the top of the page.

Tinos is also an island for those who like to explore the Greek homely
fare. Really good Greek food is available on all islands, otherwise
it would be strange, but it is not so easy to find it. Especially not
on islands where the foreign tourism is the most salient. To just serve
tourist food like mousaka and souvlaki on Tinos would never work. Many
Greeks come here for the day, they have time for two things: visit the
church and eat food. Lunch is for the Greeks as holy as a visit to the
church, and then you can not serve any half measure. It benefits us foreign
tourists, and it is just to accept it and be thankful. Some of the island's
specialties is smoked pork (louza), sausage (loukaniko) and artichoke.
Capers from the island is also common in the cooking.

You can read more about Tinos via the links
at the top of this page. A very short summary of the information
comes here:

It is easy to travel to Tinos. Either you fly to Athens and continue
by ferry from Piraeus or Rafina. (Buses to Rafina and Piraeus starts out
outside the arrival terminal at the airport.) Or you go by air to Mykonos
and continue by ferry to Tinos from there. Read
more about how to travel to Tinos here »

Tinos has, as said, been endowed with amazingly beautiful villages.
In principle all are worth seeing. The ones I like the most is Chora,
Kardiani, Agapi, Tarabados, Volax and Pyrgos. Read
more about the villages here »

I do not think that anyone travels to Tinos just for the sake of beaches.
It is the villages that attracts. But there are a lot of beaches, and
some of them are really good. Agios Fokas, Agios Sostis, Livada and Kolymbithra
(see photo on top) are my favourites. Other beaches are Agios Ioannis,
Agios Romanos, Pachia Amos, Kionia, Kalivia and Gianaki. Read
more about the beaches here »

Tinos largest sight is obviously the church of Panagia Evangelistria.
Other interesting attractions are the magnificent scenery, the nice villages,
the dovecotes, the fortress of Exobourgo and the abandoned village of
Monastiria. Read
more about the sights here »

The range of hotels and pensions are very large, especially in Tinos
Town. Are you coming in August, and especially around the 15th, when
many comes to visit the church, you have to pre-book in good time. Letter
of rooms usually meets up all ferries and if you have not booked in advance,
it is a good idea to follow one of them. Suggestions
for hotels can be found here »